Documentary About Creator of 'Lineillism' to Premiere at Thin Line

Thin Line continues to showcase stellar creative bodies of work including beautfiul documentaries sprouting from places throughout the country. One of the documentaries making its premiere at Thin Line this weekend is Birth of a New Art Form: Lineillism Revealed which uncovers the story of an artist who after going through a scary life experience, brings a new artform into fruition.

Jim "JC" Hall.

In 2000, after a stroke and experiencing a painful bout of shingles, artist Jim "JC" Hall woke up one day and only saw his world in colored vertical lines. Hall thought he may be going blind but after a few weeks living with his altered vision, he decided to channel it into his art. This is when Hall created Linillism - the application of paint in all vertical lines that blend together when from a distance. He quite literally drew what he saw which resulted in several bold, post-impressionist paintings. Even though, Hall's vision cleared over time, his new artform did not as he continued to draw on this experience to create more than 100 of these vibrant pieces.

'Venice' by Jim "JC" Hall.

So, when Filmmaker Steve Oldfield met Hall in 2015, he decided to center a film around this insiprational story. The documentary includes interviews with Hall along with a doctor who is world-reknowned expert in how the shingles virus can affect vision.

Oldfield also created the film to accompany a traveling art exhibit that begins a run in Newport, Kentucky. They secured Hall’s blessing and 10 original Lineillism paintings for the exhibit before his sudden passing in August, 2017, at the age of 84. The exhibit also includes tidbits of Hall's life story along with the tools he used and even paintings from his teen years before his venture into Lineillism. There is also a time-lapse which shows the process Lineillism painting from the very first stroke of the brush.

There will be two screenings of the film on Saturday April 21 at 1:30 p.m. at the Movie Tavern 2 and Sunday April 22 at 6:45 p.m. at the Campus Theatre. For more information there is a Facebook event specifically set up for the screening. Thin Line is free, but attendees must register online.

“I’m so excited to be coming to Thin Line,” Oldfield said. “It’s a respected festival and it also sounds like a lot of fun.”